Welcome to One Book

Welcome to the One Book, One Community blog for the book The Matchbox Diary, by Paul Fleischman and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline.

This magical book tells the story of a girl who goes to visit her great-grandfather. His study is filled with all sorts of objects. Since she does not know her great-grandfather very well, he invites her to pick whichever object she likes best, and he will tell her its story. She picks a cigar box filled with matchboxes, each containing a small object that her great-grandfather has kept from his life. His "diary" of sorts. As they look at each matchbox, the girl learns the story of her great-grandfathers life and journey from Italy to the United States.

We hope you are reading this book in your classroom and together with your family at home. After you finish reading together, take a look at the questions that are posted and join in on the conversation. Together we will learn about one another and the stories of our lives. What objects tell your story?

Starting the conversation.

Thanksgiving and the holidays are almost here, and many of you will be spending time with your family. This is a wonderful opportunity to share some of the stories that make up your family history. Why not try asking a grandparent, aunt or uncle if they have a special object with a story from their life. What does it tell you about their life story that you did not know before? Do you have a special object that tells a story about your life?